To me, Red Wine is like chocolate. Rich, decadent and addicting. I can’t say I always felt that way. I definitely was and still am a true “white wine girl” but when a certain red is good, it is really good.
Of my two favorite red wine varietals, (Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir), I choose to feature some suggestions on finding the perfect Pinot.
According to Sunset magazine, there are 6 ways to tell if a Pinot is truly a Pinot.
1. Light in color – Pinot Noir grapes have less pigment than most other reds, it is normal if it appears a bit translucent.
2. Complex flavors
Smells of: Cloves, Cinnamon, Violets, Mint, Mushrooms
Tastes of: Licorice, Espresso, Chocolate, Pepper & Berries
3. Light weight – Rule of thumb is delicacy over impact and silkiness over tannin.
4. Low Alcohol content – below 14% (lower percentages capture the character best)
5. Cool growing region – Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Northern California’s Anderson Valley, Carneros Region, Sonoma, Santa Maria Valley, Marlborough and South Island New Zealand.
6. Flexible food pairing: (dishes you normally drink white wine with) Scallops, Black Cod, Salmon, Spicy Tuna, Roast Chicken and Camembert & Gruyère cheeses.
Luella says…Red please.
To start, our lovely neighbor Laynie gave us a bottle of Pinot Noir as a wedding gift this past July. She had been at the Saarloos & Sons winery and said it was amazing and that we HAD to go when we had the chance. Here is a little bit of what awaits us…
(click on the bottles and images for Wine & Vineyard Information)
♦
SAARLOOS & SONS “Extended Family” Pinot Noir
TASTING ROOM & CUPCAKE CONFECTIONERY
Los Olivos, CA
(We have not induldged in this bottle yet as we are saving it for a rainy day celebration but I will let you know when we do.)
Now on to the rest of my choices.
♦
WAIPARA WEST Pinot Noir
South Island, New Zealand
90 points.
♦
ETUDE Pinot Noir
Carneros Region, (Napa, CA)
92 points.
♦
MARTINBOROUGH Pinot Noir
Wairarapa Region, New Zealand
96 points
♦
FOGDOG Pinot Noir
Sonoma Region CA
92 points
♦
ANNE AMIE Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley, Oregon
92 points
♦
A to Z Pinot Noir
Northwest Region, Oregon
86 points
♦
ISABEL ESTATE Pinot Noir
Marlborough Region, New Zealand
92 points
♦
CASTLE ROCK Pinot Noir
Carneros Region (Napa, CA)
90 points
♦
DOMAINE DROUHIN Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley, Oregon
90 points.
Our good friend Mason has an excellent wine blog at www.nickelanddimewine.com.
He is a wine aficionado and has excellent choices at affordable prices in all varietals, so check him out!!
Indulge in a glass of wine, no matter what, you deserve it.
Related Articles
- Taste Pinot Noir in a tasteful setting (sfgate.com)
- Bargains In Pinot Noir (goodwineunder20.blogspot.com)
- Top 10 wines of the week (steveheimoff.com)
- Fogdog Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2007 Wine Review (NW) (winecask.blogspot.com)
- Willamette Valley Vineyards: Shades of Burgundy (winepeeps.com)
- Napa’s Etude is a thorough study in winemaking (sfgate.com)
